Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-10-07
The Issue Before the Board.

]
meeting. The death of President Mark
Hopkins has removed the man who could
have done most to bring cut harmoni-
Gus result from the meeting. But he
could not, and would not. have desired to,
prevent an earnest discussion of the pres
eut issue before the board. This is stated
as follows by the christina Union and
the statement agrees with the facts as
we understand them
The controversy grows ont Of differ
ences of opinion in the Congregational
commission provided for by the national
council of 1880 This commission after
sessions covering period of about three
years agreed upon theological state
ment, and reported it to the churches
This statement was purposely made SO
broad hat it could be subscribed TO by both
Old Theology and New Theology men.
OF the twenty-four members of the com
mission two only declined to approve this
report DR.. Alden stated in writing his
objections They We're that the creed re-
ported did not adequately define the Trim
ity, that it omitted the word "eXpiatoryn
in its definition of the Atonement, that
its definition of the significance OF bap-
tism was unsatisfactory, aud that it did
not contain "some phrase which will de
clare our belief that the issues of the final
Judgment are decided during the present
lite on earth" Shortly afterward another
creed was sent out by DR.. Alden, the au-
: thorSbip of which was not made known,
embodying these alterations, urged upon
but not accepted by the commission. This
was in the early winter of 1884.
\ year later the senior editor of the
Christian Union learned that the home
secretary was sending out to candidates
for missionary appointment a third creed
in phraseology different from, but in doc
trinal statement identical with, tn At which
had been rejected by the commission. 1t
| embodied all the notifications which Dr.
Alden had unsuccessfully urged upon the
commission. 1t was sometimes folded
into the manual, sometimes sent separate
ly in letter, sometimes handed to the
candidate in the office It's existence may
not have been unknown to members of the
committee but 1t was not known to the
committee that it was being sent from the
Office of the home secretary. 1t was never
approved by nor even reported to them
for their consideration and when, in the
fall of 1885, the prudential committee were
asked to give their approval TO a similar
statement of doctrine, they, with sub>ian
tial uuanmity, declined to do so. The
chairman of the prudential committee
the presd dent OF the board and others
heretofore influential in its councils, fore
seeing the danger of needlessly entangling
the board in a theological controversy,
personally and by letter urged upon tie
home secretary the discontiOuanre of thi.
innovation but in vain.
These facts were known to the senior
editor of the Christian Union for eight
months before he reported them to the
public. He waited in a sincere but vain
hone that time for reflection would lead
the home secretary to discontinue this
wholly unauthorized attempt TO force
upon the missionary candidates a creed
which had been rejected by the creed com
mission. and had never been considered
by the churches. or reported to the board,
or approved by the prudential committee.
Not until more than one candidate had
been turned back from the missionary
service because he declined to accept A
creed which the - members of the creed
commission had declined to accent. did
the Christian Union reluctantly break it -,
SILENCE and reDort the facts 10 the cor, o.
rate members and the churches Since
that time this creed has been Withdrawn,
but another. emholyiur substantially me
same doctrines has baan substltu,ed II
ia. we believe. still used by the home sec
retarv. we know that il has bean in -+.
wv hin, during the current wear I-ndpr
Ibis Dolicy one Young lady has been turr-
ed back because she was not as sure that
there could be-. no future probation as she
Il
New Haven has been refused appoint
ment whose OfTeuC, WAS his declarati ion.
"All mean with reference. to the hypoth-
esis of a second probation is that do
not know practically, il affects neither
nv belief nor my teaching :" two gradu.
ates of And0yer nave been turned back
whose Joint doctrinal declaration embed
les a clear statement OF their faith that
the heather are lost without Christ that
the last Judgment is final. that for those
who have rejected Christ and his GOSPEL
the future offer, no hone, and they desire
TO preacn the gospel to the heather be
cause the love OF Christ coustrains them
A fourth candidate was raiected by DR.
Alden hrt subsequently accepted hy The
l committees. who rxnlIcjfIy declared thai
B 'hc SOW ~ eN.''ence ~ 'cII ~ ,e 4o' "a
what cod would do in another life with
those who had uayer heard of his rnsn.
IN this-that sht. leff them IN the hands o.
! rod These are typjcaI cs,e. 1'hrv arr
sufficient to MT before the cburche. And
the corporate member, the uunnestioner
And nnnurstionable facts.
Nv. 49, nr,aStior 10 IVA a.,tIaJ ,t s,ri,,r